Shocking Results of 1st Ever Human Controlled Trial on Intermittent Fasting (supervised clinical)

Summary

This video discusses a study published in Cell Metabolism that explores the effects of aggressive fasting, such as a six-hour eating window, compared to a 12-hour window on insulin sensitivity, pancreatic function, and oxidative stress. The study, unlike others, maintained participants' weight through controlled feeding, revealing benefits like improved insulin sensitivity and decreased reactive oxygen species, suggesting fasting could contribute to longevity. The video also highlights the reduced appetite observed even with equal calorie intake, emphasizing the metabolic advantages of more aggressive fasting over shorter fasting periods.

Takeaways

• 📊 A recent study compared the effects of fasting and caloric restriction, suggesting they have similar end results.
• 🔍 Another less-discussed study focused on more aggressive fasting, specifically a six-hour eating window, in a tightly controlled clinical trial.
• 🥤 The speaker recommends Element electrolytes for easier fasting, especially the new sparkling version, and mentions a special offer for the audience.
• 🧬 The study published in Cell Metabolism provided subjects with enough calories to maintain their weight, avoiding the confounding factor of weight loss benefits.
• ⏱ The trial lasted for 5 weeks with a crossover design, ensuring each group experienced both the 6-hour and 12-hour eating windows.
• 📉 Insulin sensitivity improved in the aggressive fasting group, suggesting benefits beyond just weight loss.
• 🌡️ Beta cell function and pancreatic function also improved, indicating enhanced ability to process carbohydrates and produce insulin.
• 🍽️ Despite consuming the same amount of food, participants experienced a decrease in appetite, which is intriguing given they were eating to maintain weight.
• 🧬 A reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed, which is significant as ROS are considered a driver of aging.
• 🔁 The study's crossover design provided double proof of the benefits of the 6-hour eating window when the groups switched conditions.
• 🚫 The speaker advises against adopting the study's fasting regimen for everyone, as it was a controlled situation and might be too extreme for regular practice.

Q & A

What was the main focus of the fasting study discussed in the script?

The main focus of the study was to compare the effects of aggressive fasting, specifically a six-hour eating window, with a more typical 12-hour eating window on insulin sensitivity, beta cell function, and other health markers, while maintaining the same caloric intake for each individual.

What was unique about the design of this fasting study?

The study was unique because it was a clinically supervised controlled feeding trial in humans, where participants were given exactly the number of calories needed to maintain their weight, rather than being put on a caloric restriction.

What were the key findings of the study after a 5-week period?

The key findings were improvements in insulin sensitivity, enhanced beta cell function, a decrease in reactive oxygen species, and a reduction in appetite, even though participants were consuming the same amount of calories.

Why was it important for the study to maintain weight during the trial?

Maintaining weight was important to isolate the effects of fasting from those of weight loss, ensuring that any health benefits observed were due to the fasting regimen itself and not just the result of losing weight.

What is Element Electrolytes and how does it relate to fasting?

Element Electrolytes is a product that provides electrolytes in a convenient, ready-to-drink format. It is suggested for use during fasting to make longer fasts easier and to have something to sip on, as it has no calories or sugar but offers flavor.

What does the script suggest about the benefits of a 14-hour fast?

The script suggests that while a 14-hour fast may show some improvements in insulin resistance, it may not be as effective as more aggressive fasting in terms of the health benefits observed in the study discussed.

How does the study's findings on reactive oxygen species relate to aging?

The decrease in reactive oxygen species, which are known to be a driver of aging, suggests that aggressive fasting may have longevity benefits by reducing oxidative stress.

What was the significance of the crossover design in the study?

The crossover design allowed each participant to experience both the six-hour and 12-hour eating windows, which helped to confirm the effects of fasting were due to the timing of food intake rather than individual differences.

How did the study address the potential issue of appetite reduction affecting the results?

The study controlled for appetite by ensuring participants ate enough to maintain their weight, even if they reported a reduced desire to eat, thus isolating the effects of fasting from appetite changes.

What advice does the script give regarding the frequency and duration of fasting for optimal benefits?

The script suggests that more aggressive fasting, such as a six-hour eating window, may be more beneficial, but also notes that it should be done in moderation, such as three times a week, to avoid potential negative effects on metabolism.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Comparing Fasting to Caloric Restriction: What's the Difference?

This paragraph discusses the ongoing debate between fasting and caloric restriction, highlighting a recent study that suggests there's little difference in the end results between the two. It critiques the short fasting periods used in previous studies and introduces a new, more aggressive fasting study that offers a different perspective. The study is described as the first of its kind, with tightly controlled conditions to compare time-restricted feeding over a six-hour eating window with equal calorie intake, leading to intriguing findings about insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress, and appetite.

05:02

🧪 Insights from the First Controlled Fasting Study

This paragraph delves into the details of the study published in 'Cell Metabolism,' where subjects were given enough calories to maintain their weight over a five-week period. The study used a crossover design, allowing researchers to observe differences between a six-hour and a twelve-hour eating window. The main takeaway is that while calorie intake was identical, insulin sensitivity, pancreatic function, and oxidative stress showed significant improvements in the group with a shorter eating window, suggesting that the timing of food intake can have a profound impact on health, independent of calorie restriction.

Keywords

💡Fasting

Fasting refers to the practice of abstaining from food for a certain period of time. In the context of the video, it is a central theme where the presenter discusses the effects of fasting on health and metabolism. The script mentions different types of fasting, such as 14-hour fasts and more aggressive fasting with a six-hour eating window, to compare their effects on the body.

💡Caloric Restriction

Caloric restriction is the practice of reducing the total number of calories consumed while maintaining adequate nutrition. The video script contrasts this with fasting, suggesting that a previous study found no difference in outcomes between the two. However, the presenter argues that the study in question did not consider more aggressive fasting.

💡Time-Restricted Feeding

Time-restricted feeding is a type of fasting where the consumption of food is limited to a specific time window each day. The script discusses a study that compared the effects of a six-hour eating window versus a 12-hour window on metabolic health, highlighting that the timing of food intake can have significant health benefits.

💡Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity is a measure of how well the body's cells respond to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. The video emphasizes that the study found improved insulin sensitivity with fasting, which is crucial for managing diabetes and maintaining overall metabolic health.

💡Beta Cell Function

Beta cell function refers to the ability of the beta cells in the pancreas to produce insulin. The script explains that the study showed improvements in beta cell function after a period of aggressive fasting, indicating a positive impact on the body's capacity to regulate blood sugar.

💡Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Reactive oxygen species are chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen that can cause damage to cells and are implicated in the aging process. The video script reveals that the study found a decrease in ROS with fasting, suggesting a potential anti-aging effect.

💡Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress is a condition where an imbalance occurs between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants. The script suggests that fasting may reduce oxidative stress, contributing to the observed health benefits.

💡Element Electrolytes

Element Electrolytes is a product mentioned in the script that is used to maintain hydration and electrolyte balance during fasting. The presenter recommends it as a way to make longer fasts easier and more enjoyable, with the added benefit of a new sparkling version that provides a soda-like experience without calories or sugar.

💡Crossover Design

A crossover design in research is a type of experimental design where each subject serves as their own control by receiving all treatments in a randomized sequence. The script mentions that the study used a crossover design, allowing for a direct comparison of the effects of different fasting windows on the same individuals.

💡Metabolism

Metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life, including the breakdown of substances to produce energy and the synthesis of compounds needed for cellular function. The video discusses how fasting can influence metabolism, with the study showing that a six-hour eating window can maintain a somewhat high metabolism.

💡Aggressive Fasting

Aggressive fasting, as discussed in the video, refers to more extreme forms of fasting, such as a very short eating window. The presenter suggests that for significant health benefits, one should consider more aggressive fasting approaches rather than the shorter 12 to 16-hour fasts that are sometimes discussed in other studies.

Highlights

A new study challenges the idea that fasting and caloric restriction have the same end results.

The study in question is the first clinically supervised controlled feeding trial in humans on fasting.

Subjects were given enough calories to maintain their weight over a 5-week period in a crossover design.

The study aimed to determine if time-restricted feeding, such as a six-hour eating window, has additional benefits when calories are equal.

Insulin sensitivity improved with aggressive fasting, contrary to expectations.

Beta cell function and pancreatic function showed significant improvements over the 5-week study.

There was a decrease in reactive oxygen species, which are linked to aging.

The study suggests that fasting may give the body a chance to utilize endogenous antioxidants more effectively.

Appetite decreased even though subjects had to eat the same amount to maintain weight.

The study's design makes it difficult to refute, as it was tightly controlled and well-executed.

The study supports the idea that more aggressive fasting can have benefits beyond simple weight loss.

A comparison is made to another study that found 14-hour fasts showed improvements in insulin resistance, although not statistically significant.

The study emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the effects of fasting and the effects of weight loss on health benefits.

The study suggests that short-term, aggressive fasting may be more beneficial than less restrictive fasting periods.

The study's findings were consistent when subjects switched from a 12-hour to a 6-hour eating window.

The study provides evidence that supports the benefits of more aggressive fasting for health and longevity.

Element electrolytes are recommended for those who fast, offering a new sparkling version for easier consumption.

Transcripts

while the whole world and the whole

internet has been talking about this

fasting study that came out that shows

that fasting and caloric restriction are

no different in terms of end result

there's another paper that was published

that nobody was really talking about

that actually looks at real more

aggressive fasting what do I mean by

that well the previous study and I've

done some videos on this that takes a

look and says fasting is the same as

caloric

restriction although I agree with

everything it said everything nothing I

disagree with well-crafted study it was

looking at very

shortterm like fasting periods were very

short fasting periods rather it was very

it was like 14h hour fasts which I don't

know but without even thinking about it

I faster 14 hours and a lot of people do

so that's not really fasting so this

study was the first clinically

supervised controlled feeding trial in

humans on fasting the first of its kind

we're in a very tightly controlled

setting controlled feeding and

controlled like metabolic

adjustments to compare if

time-restricted feeding in a more

aggressive sense like a six-hour eating

window if calories are equal has any

benefit very interesting findings after

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Thomas so this study was published in

cell metabolism and what's cool is they

gave subjects enough calories to

maintain their weight okay so it went on

for 5 weeks okay and it was a crossover

design so when one group finished the

other group went into the other arm so

what's interesting about this study is

they didn't put them on a caloric

restriction they didn't even like match

calories what they did is they said hey

here's exactly what this person needs to

maintain their weight exactly and here's

what this person needs to maintain their

weight and this person it was so

designed to a te clinically supervised

and absolutely like literal to the tea

feeding to make them keep their weight

and it worked by the end there was no

weight change and and the reason they

did this is people will say okay well

benefits come it's hard to tell if the

benefits are coming from the food from

the fasting period from this from that

supplements Yad y or is the benefit just

flat out coming from the weight loss and

that's a very valid thing if you take

two people and one person loses 100

pounds and one person loses 50 lb is the

person that's losing 100 lb getting more

benefit that looks like it's coming from

the diet but in reality it just came

from losing more weight or if you had

some people that were eating the exact

same thing and one person lost weight

and one person didn't with the person

that lost weight show more benefits than

the person that did and the answer is of

course they would losing weight is going

to give you benefits losing adapost

tissue not being obese is going to give

health benefits so where scientifically

do we determine what the actual like

reason people are having improvements or

metabolic Improvement or glycemic

Improvement is is it because they lost

weight or is it because of the diet so

the way we fix that is we get scientific

and we get literally down to the calorie

for one specific person how do we make

you maintain weight how do we adjust in

this clinical format well they did that

so one group ate in a 6-hour aggressive

fasting window okay they couldn't eat

past 300 p.m. the other group ate in a

12-hour block but remember it didn't

matter with calories because it was all

equal macros were equal spacing was

obviously different but as close to

equal as they could get in terms of the

sequencing okay so the only thing that

was different was the timing period no

calorie difference individually as a

percentage or relatively speaking here's

what they found insulin sensitivity

improved who would have thought you take

a break from food insulin sensitivity is

going to improve but insulin sensitivity

didn't just improve in the short term

beta cell function improved pancreatic

function improved so over a 5we period

they had significant improvements in

just the ability to process

carbohydrates and manufacture insulin

okay well guess what else happened there

was a decrease in reactive oxygen

species this is fascinating to me

because reactive oxygen species is a

driver of Aging okay so from a longevity

perspective for a long time for like the

longest time up until probably 15 years

ago 10 years ago we thought that

reactive oxygen species Ross oxidative

stress was the primary driver of Aging

it could still be a primary driver but

we've since found a lot of other things

that are driving it okay mitochondrial

stuff that's beyond that but Ross is

still a big one oxidative stress the

fact that just compressing eating window

in an aggressive time reduced Ross is

very interesting oxidative stress went

down but who would have thought if you

stop eating for a little bit maybe you

give yourself a chance for endogenous

antioxidants to actually do the job I

love this study because it's just it's

really hard to poke holes in it the

other thing that's interesting is that

appetite went down even though they had

to eat the same amount appetite went

down right so they were maintaining

weight but they had less desire to eat

but but they ate anyway because they had

to because they were eating to maintain

weight but they actually didn't even

want to eat that much so it's like some

would say well the benefits of

intermittent fasting as far as the

consumption is concerned and the lack of

appetite comes because you're

restricting your stomach shrinking and

that could be true but in this

particular case they were feeding them

just enough to maintain weight and they

still had a reduction of appetite so

there's a good chance that even after

the study maybe they would continue to

lose weight but it gets better in the

fact that they crossed over and those

that did the 12h hour went to the six

hour and they had the same effects so it

was like double proven in this metabolic

like supervised situation the thing that

makes me happy about this study is this

one actually looked at real fasting

compared to some of these other studies

that are looking at 12 hours or 14 hours

or sometimes even 16 hours that's just

not enough time and I've preached this

for so long and yes I'm tooting my horn

here but I have like if you want the

benefits of fasting you need to go more

aggressive the caveat with this is I

don't think everyone should just model

this this was a contr situation for 5

weeks which is about as far as I would

probably push it in this case before it

might be too much fasting however

calories were set to keep the metabolism

somewhat high so maybe it would be okay

if you were doing it this way but the

shortterm like three times a week more

aggressive fasting is probably the way

to go and I think this kind of study

demonstrates that compared to the other

study that was published in the anals of

internal medicine just a couple of weeks

ago that says like hey 14 hour fasts

every day don't do that much however let

me make a note I talked about this in

that other video that broke that study

down a 14-hour fast still showed

improvements in insulin resistance in

their H IR it wasn't highlighted in a

lot of people's reviews of that study

because it was statistically

insignificant but when you actually look

at the literal graph it's pretty darn

significant and if you know scientific

journals at all you know that

statistically significant and absolute

significance in like what it actually is

in real life is a little bit different

because it's more about the parameters

that are set on the study versus the

actual outcome so it means that it was

not statistically significant beyond

what was pretty much expected but it was

still significant enough to say hey it's

significant bottom line it works I'll

see you tomorrow